Bell Helicopter Will Build Magellan in Texas

Bell will build its new medium-twin Magellan helicopter in Texas, company CEO John Garrison revealed in a memo sent to employees yesterday. While Garrison still did not divulge specific details about what is expected to be a twin-engine replacement for the venerable Model 412, which has a fuselage that dates back to the Vietnam War, he said the new helicopter would be built at Bell’s Amarillo, Texas plant, the same facility that currently builds the military’s V-22 Osprey tiltrotor. Garrison said Magellan will be built there to take advantage of surplus production capacity anticipated to emerge as V-22 procurement winds down in the face of expected Pentagon budget cuts. Garrison emphasized that the move does not spell cutbacks at Bell’s Mirabel, Canada plant, currently the site of all of the company’s civil aircraft production, including the new 429 light twin. “This is not a change in our manufacturing and final assembly strategy,” Garrison said. “Mirabel remains our principal commercial aircraft assembly center.”